When you try downloading files from the internet, you may encounter an issue where the download won’t start, and Chrome gets stuck on the “waiting to download” stage. This can be frustrating, but luckily, there are several troubleshooting tips you can try to overcome this problem on the Chrome browser.
How to fix Google Chrome “Waiting to Download” error
Do you have a stable internet connection?
A damaged internet connection is a frequent reason behind the “waiting to download” error. Disrupted or slow internet connectivity can cause files to fail to download in Chrome. Restart your WiFi router and check your connection with a different network → This has been an attempt to get rid of Wi-Fi connection and will help you overcome the issue. You can even run a network speed test to see if anything is up.
In that case, it’s best to reach out to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), or try downloading the files under a different network.
Resume Downloading
In case your download freezes, you may resume the download from Chrome downloads tab. Open Chrome downloads with Ctrl + J, find the file that is sitting on “waiting to download”, and click the Resume button.
Reload the Webpage
In the case of a weak network speed, the file download process may get stuck as the webpage may not load correctly. In that case, you may want to reload the page. In the Chrome browser, click the Reload button (or refresh icon) next to the URL bar and wait for the page to load completely. Next, make sure to check the files once more whether the download starts instantly or not.
Server side problem
You are able to download files from other websites but not just one specific website, which may have technical problems. Then you can notify the problem to the website administrator or owner. They can then fix what is wrong and you could download files from their website using chrome.
Restart the Chrome browser
In the case you encounter random issues or bugs in chrome; do a force stop and relaunch the chrome. This can often solve these kinds of problems. Alternatively, you can force-close your Chrome browser by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open up the Task Manager, under the Apps tab — look for Google Chrome, right-click on it and select End Task. Wait for a few seconds, then launch Chrome again and re-download the files.
Disable antivirus or firewall
You’re looking for an originating message with a. exe suffix (executable file), your computer’s antivirus program might block the download, treating it as a threat. In such case, temporarily disable your antivirus tools while downloading the files. Open the Windows Security app, go to Firewall & Network Protection, click Private Network, and toggle Microsoft Defender Firewall to turn off. After the download is complete, you can turn your security settings back on.
Set-up download folder
In other words: if the target folder specified for file downloads in Chrome does not exist, the files won’t download to this folder. Ensure the download location is properly set on your computer. To do this, launch Chrome and type chrome://settings/download in the URL bar and hit Enter. In the Location section, click Change to enter the correct path to a folder on your computer’s hard drive.
Use Incognito Mode
Another solution for “waiting to download” error on Chrome, if that is what you are facing, is to use the Incognito Mode. Open Chrome Incognito Mode by pressing Ctrl + Shift + N. This feature enables you to browse without saving any kind of history or cookies and can frequently remedy many issues related to downloading files.
Restart your computer
If none of the above methods helps, restart your computer; some notification issues may be fixed with a simple reboot. Tap the Windows key to access the Start menu, click the Power icon that appears at the bottom-right corner, then select Restart. Reopen Chrome after your computer restarts and attempt to download the files again.
Use Another Browser
If you have already tried all of the troubleshooting tips and are not able to download files on Chrome, you can download the files using Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Brave.
So these were all the troubleshooting tips that can help you to fix waiting to download issue on Chrome and download your files successfully. Thank you for reading!
